Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund applications that received match-funding in (a) Newcastle upon Tyne and (b) North Tyneside in (i) 2023-24 and (ii) 2024-25.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The table below confirms the information requested.
Financial year | Newcastle upon Tyne | North Tyneside | ||
Applications | Match funded | Applications | Match funded | |
2023/24 | 57 | 2 | 53 | 0 |
2024/25 | 43 | 1 | 44 | 1 |
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of children with approved Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund applications in (a) Newcastle upon Tyne and (b) North Tyneside in (i) 2023-24 and (ii) 2024-25.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The table below confirms the information requested.
Financial year | Newcastle upon Tyne | North Tyneside | ||
Applications | Match funded | Applications | Match funded | |
2023/24 | 57 | 2 | 53 | 0 |
2024/25 | 43 | 1 | 44 | 1 |
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of childcare support for PhD researchers on the demographics of people who take up studentships.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Student parents are eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds regardless of family circumstances. Students who work in addition to studying may be eligible for 30 hours free childcare if they meet the income requirements.
The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in higher education to support them with childcare. Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.
The government introduced new support packages for students starting postgraduate master’s degree courses from the 2016/17 academic year onwards and postgraduate doctoral degree courses from 2018/19 onwards. These loans are not based on income and are intended as a contribution to the cost of study. They can be used by students according to their personal circumstances to cover the costs of fees and living costs including childcare. The new support packages have provided a significant uplift in support for postgraduate students while ensuring the student support system remains financially sustainable.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available to PhD researchers with the costs of childcare.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Student parents are eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds regardless of family circumstances. Students who work in addition to studying may be eligible for 30 hours free childcare if they meet the income requirements.
The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in higher education to support them with childcare. Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.
The government introduced new support packages for students starting postgraduate master’s degree courses from the 2016/17 academic year onwards and postgraduate doctoral degree courses from 2018/19 onwards. These loans are not based on income and are intended as a contribution to the cost of study. They can be used by students according to their personal circumstances to cover the costs of fees and living costs including childcare. The new support packages have provided a significant uplift in support for postgraduate students while ensuring the student support system remains financially sustainable.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on ensuring that adult (a) mental health services and (b) social care are involved in improving information-sharing through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
No discussions have been had regarding either aspect. The focus in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is to improve information sharing by introducing a consistent identifier for children up to the age of 18. We will consider the role both the adult and child identifiers can play in the transition to adulthood as this work moves forward.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of local government finances on the ability of local authorities to fund additional therapy above the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund's fair access limit.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The adoption and special guardianship support fund provides up to £3,000 per child annually for therapeutic support. The department has assessed that £3,000 can fund an average of 19-20 hours of therapy, on the basis of median hourly rates for contact time, and allowing for additional costs. Decisions to fund additional therapy beyond this fair access limit rest with individual local authorities. Adoptive and kinship families can also receive help from local authority Family Help services. The government is doubling investment in these services to over £500 million in 2025/26.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to consult charities on SEND reform.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and I continue to engage with special educational needs and disabilities charities, stakeholders and parent carers, and are conducting weekly engagement sessions via webinars, meetings and visits. We are also engaging via roundtables with the voluntary, charity and community sectors, the most recent being in June 2025.
These engagements will carry on throughout the White Paper consultation period into the autumn and beyond.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Question 53853, tabled by the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend on 21 May 2025.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
I can confirm that a response has been submitted to my hon. Friend, the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend to Question 53853.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of funding in the higher education sector on the performance of British universities in the QS World University Rankings 2026, published on 19 June 2025.
Answered by Janet Daby
To maintain the UK higher education (HE) sector's world-leading status, universities need a stable financial footing. This government is committed to securing our universities’ future, which is why we have acted quickly to address the sector’s financial challenges.
The Office for Students (OfS) continues to dedicate significant resources to ensure the sector's financial sustainability. The department has appointed Professor Edward Peck as OfS Chair, where he will play a key role in strengthening this commitment. Additionally, we made the difficult decision to uplift tuition fee limits by 3.1% (in line with inflation) from the 2025/26 academic year. The department will publish its plans for HE reform as part of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper this summer.
We also recognise that research funding is integral to universities’ financial sustainability. This government has committed to record funding of research and development (R&D). The Department for Science, Technology and Innovation’s (DSIT) R&D budget has increased in real terms by 8.5% from 2024/25 to 2025/26, and DSIT's allocation to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is £8.8 billion, sustaining unprecedented levels of investment to support the UK’s R&D ambitions.
This government is determined to work with the sector to transition to sustainable research funding models, including by increasing research grant cost recovery, as announced by UKRI in March.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made a recent assessment of the merits of Education, Health and Care Plans on (a) academic attainment and (b) mental health in mainstream schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
There is a growing number of children and young people with education, health and care (EHC) plans due to their social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. Currently, 15.5% of those with an EHC plan who are attending school have SEMH recorded as their primary need.
While no recent assessment has been made specifically on the impact of EHC plans on mental health, we are responding to this increase by significantly expanding access to specialist mental health professionals and early support. This includes the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools, the recruitment of 8,500 additional mental health professionals, and the launch of Young Futures hubs to provide accessible, community-based mental health services.
Improving the SEND system is a key priority for this government. We are working with families, schools, local authorities and wider partners to deliver reforms that improve support for children and parents and provide consistency across the country.